Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 23, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
“War for the Planet of the Apes” was the most elaborate installment in the series to date. It was directed by Matt Reeves, and the role of ape leader Caesar was once again played by Andy Serkis.
At FMX 2014, we interviewed the actor, who made a name for himself as a motion-capture performer above all with his performance as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Here is an excerpt; you can read the complete interview in DP issue 04 : 16:
DP: How has performance capturing changed since your first assignment?
Andy Serkis: Immensely from the technical side: On “The Lord of the Rings” we shot on 35 mm; I was filmed as an actor with the other performers on set and then had to repeat all the scenes separately in the motion-capture studio. At that time there was no facial capturing; the animators merely copied my facial expressions. On “King Kong” we began using facial markers, but we still had no head-mounted cameras. “Avatar” was already a big leap because several performers could be recorded in the studio at the same time. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was the first project on which we were able to use performance capturing on set itself with head-mounted cameras without having to repeat it in the studio. In addition, the perception of the subject in the industry and among audiences has changed decisively in the meantime; it is more widely accepted.
DP: You have already played so many CG characters; which is your favorite role?
Andy Serkis: Of course I have a strong bond with Gollum because my entire performance-capture journey began with him. Finding Gollum as a character was difficult at first, but once the concept was established, his role was not overly complicated. With him, it is not about what he thinks or feels; instead, he talks all the time—his psychology is simply constructed. Caesar, by contrast, is subtler, and making him seem real was considerably more complicated. That is why this character has also become very dear to me.
DP: How were you able to put yourself in the role of an ape—without a mask or other aids?
Andy Serkis: We prepared for a long time before shooting: We had a kind of ape camp in which all the actors analyzed how apes communicate and interact. Because most of the ape characters had already appeared in the first part, we knew how Caesar would behave toward them.
DP: Why did you establish The Imaginarium (editor’s note: Andy Serkis’s own performance-capture studio) in London rather than Los Angeles or Canada?
Andy Serkis: Primarily because London is my home. In 2005, I directed the performance capturing for the game “Heavenly Sword.” We had already begun rehearsals, drafted a script and cast the roles, but then discovered that we had no facilities whatsoever for a performance-capture shoot in Europe. So I had to travel with the team to the other end of the world, New Zealand, for filming. I found that bizarre, because Vicon Motion Systems comes from Oxford, the motion-capture software from Cambridge, and all the game actors came from London. In Europe, particularly in England, there is a great lack of understanding of performance capturing—and therefore the technology is underrepresented as well. With the studio, I want to combine my previous experience from the film industry in this field with new techniques and realize my own projects there.
